Engine-starter.



APPLE() FILED APTSLH", i912.

V'otthat type in which a Volume of ens JOEE" WATSN FTZGERLD, OF DETRXT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 XGNITON STARTER CMPANY, 0F DETROIT, MICHEGAN, A CRORATION OF MICHIGAN.

ENGINE-STARTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

i l Application filed April zus, me,

Patenten el an. El, im 3.

Serial No. 691,54@

ToaZZ whom t may coni/1ero Be it known vthat l, JOHN WATSON Filez- GERALD", e Citizen of the United States of Armerina, residinfr'at Detroit, in the county el." Wayne and State of li/ichigamhave invented certain nen7 end ueeiiul improve ments in Enginetarters, oi? which the ifellowing is a specification, reference being; had therein to 'the aoeoiniimnying driiwings. The invent-ion relates to engine etai-ters injected inte the explogion ehainher to 'torni anignitihle gaseous charge for the initial explosion. The gas is usually drawn from a Storage tank in which it is held at. relatively high lpressure and ae n consequent-e a prersuredredncing means such ne a restricted passage iS ueually plat-ed between the supply and the engine cylinder. lt is however, difficult to govern the 'torce ot the plosive charge ony aeeount oty variation in either pressure or volulnewhieh oei-ur from time to time. y n

1t Yis the ohjeety ol the present invention t0 provide ine-ane tor introducing gaseous Charges of predeterniineiii mass or exploeiifeU torce Wit-hout reference to variations in pren Sure of the gue in the storage-tank.

.To this end the invention consists in the eonetruetion as hereinafter set forth.

ln the dralwingsg-Figure l is a pian View; Fig. 2 le a side' elevation; Fig. 3 is an end elevation'oi2 Athe apparatus.

Aie Aa cilinder or measuring receptacle of predetermined capacity euitahle for the desired gaseous charge to her injected into the explosion chamber, B is a piston within the ycyliiuiler and C is an actuating plunger therefor provided with a knob or hearing l) adapted for operation by hand or foot.

Eil@ a gas inlet conduit from the storage tank or other :source of supply (not shown).l F is a needle valve or other ineens for restrietingl the tlow of ras and G isi a port lending into the cylinder L adjacent to the piston. Y

With the parte as 'thus icm' described the gas entering the. cylinder through. the port G will force the piston B outward, and in esniuch as there is no resistance to the movement oi this piston other than its t'rii tion in the cylinder and the friction ou its; operating plunger, the preseure ot gas hehind the piston will. he hut .slightly greater than atmosphericpresure. i have however, provided menne tor inerenning this pree- Sure comprising a spring ll or other niearse tiring 'toreo arranged in the path ot the piston as it approaches the end oit' ite` strokes; und resisting further inorenient' thereof. This n'ill eauee the pressure within the oli/linder to rieepflue to the continued inflow through the port (Ei under the netuation ot the higher gne pressure in the Stord age moli, and tlii` action Will continue until the resistance ot the spring is overcome und the piston resumes its movementv predeterniined limit ol' preesure obtained by autmnaticully cloning the valve lf and this is accomplished by n trip releneed h y the movement of the piston against the resistance olf the spring' H. i

ln the Speeitie eonetruetion shown the trip mechanism comprise,4 a lever l against which the spring' lil abuis :ind which Stands in the path ot the piston. This lever is in the :torni of n hell crank pivoted at .l and having a `laterally extending erin lif .vhioh is adjacent to e rod L connected by a rook arm M to the stein of the' Valve l?,

P a spring for closing' theI valve and which es shown iS eonneel'eifl to the roch afin M and a lugr @i on the cylinder.

R is a Collar on the rod L and S a. detent on the hell crank arm K tor engaging with Said collar when the rodL has been adjusted to open the valve;

T is a knol) or handle et the end ot' the rod L Jfor actuating the same. f

ln operation, in normal position the pieton B i5 at the end of the cylinder adjacent the port G and the valve F is closed so as to out oil Communication between the (fonduit l -and the cylinder'. illhen it ie desired to Start the engine the rod lli is first art-tinted by pressure upon the knob T and adjusted to 'n position where the roel; nrni will open the 'alve li] and the detent t? on the heil crank arm iii Will engage with. the collar it. The de- 100 tent will thus hold the rod L from being forward until it -bears against the lever I where further `movement will be resisted by the spring H. ,The continued inflow of gas will cause'the pressure to rise within the cylinder and when thispressure reaches a point sufficient to overcome the tension of the spring the lever I will be actuated, withdrawing the detent S from the collar R and permitting the spring P to return the rod L and close the valve-F. As a re sult the cylinder A contains not only a Ineasured volume of gas but a volume at an exactly predetermined pressure and therefore a definite mass. This volume is then introduced into the explosion chamber by a pressure upon the knob D which forces the plunger C inward, the piston B ejectiiig the gases through a port U and conduit Premature esca-pe of gas through this conduit during the filling of the cylinder is prevented by a valve WV which is closed by a spring X sutlicient in tension to prevent p. opening by the gaseous pressure developed within the cylinder but insuthcient to hold the valveA closed when the piston B is actuated by the pressure of'hand or foot on the knob D. Y

To alter vthe tension ofthe spring so as to offer a predetermined resistance to the movement of the piston, said spring is seated in a plug Y having a threaded engagement with the head A of the cylinder, said plug being adjustable from outside the cy1- lnder to'vary the tension on the spring. Provision is also preferably made for adjusting the valve. F in relation to its actuatiug -rock arm M so as to determine the degree of openin of the valve. This as shown, consists o a serrated collar F' on the valve stem engaging a correspondingly serrated face M on the rock arm M, while a lock nut Mz holds these members in engagement. This will permit of adjusting the valve by loosening the nut M2 and moving the arm M to the desired point of adjustment, after which itis again clamped bythe nut M2.

W'hat I claim as my invention is:

1. The combination With a cylinder hav ing a piston therein, of a' conduit for admztting gas under pressure to said cylinder a 1ainst said piston, a valvejcontrolling the a mission of gas to the cylinder, mechanism for automatically closing said valve, a detent for holding said mechanism with the valve in open position7 a trip actuated at the completion of movement of the piston under the impellng force of admitted gas to release said detent and permit the closing of said valve, and means for resistf ing the operation of said trip by said'piston to obtain a predetermined pressure of gas in the cylinder.

2. The combination with a cylinder and a piston therein, of a plunger for act-uatin said 'piston in one direction, means for a mitting gas from a source of supply under piston therein in an outward direction, a valve oontrlling the admission of gas to ythe cylinder, a rod connected with said valve to open or close the same, tension means operating on said rod to close the valve, a latch detent for. engaging' with vsaid rod when the valve is open to hold the same from closing, a trip arm for saidlatch detent extending into the path of said piston, and a resisting spring for said tri arm for preventing the operation thereo Auntil a predetermined gaseous pressure is obtained in the cylinder.

3. The combination with a cylinder, a pis ton thereinland a plunger for actuating said piston, of means for admittin gas from a source under pressure to sai c linder to 4move the piston therein outwr a valve a rock arm for opening and closing sai valve, a rod for actua-ting said rock arm, a spring for holding said rod and rock arm with 'the valve closed, a latch detenten a eable witha shoulder :on said rod for. o ding the latter with the valve in open tion, a trip arm connected with said atch detent extending into the path of said piston, aspring' for resisting movement of said trip arm, and means for varying the tension of said spring.

4. The combination with a cylinder, of a piston therein, a plunger for actuating said piston extending outward through one end of said cylinder, a bell crank lever fulcrumed on said cylinder and having one arm extending thereinto in thepath of the piston and adjacent to the cylinder head through which the yplunger passes, a rod slidably mopnted on said cylinder, a rock arm connected thereto, a needle valve controlled by said rock arm and 'governing a spring operating upon said rod to hold said valve in closed position, a shoulder onsaid rod for engagement with a-detent on said bell crank lever to hold the valve in open position, and a spring resisting movement from closing until a predetermined gaseous pressure in the cylinder is obtained.

5. The combination with a cylinder, of a piston therein, a plunger for actuating said controlling admission of gas to the cylindei;

gas admission port into said cylinder, a

pressure into said cylinder to actua' the.

of said bell crank lever to hold said valve ai sim, Juhu L H1 ii:

1in ai@ rod with like e 1 I said 00H5@ ii'f'un. ding in 

